The Gate of Eventide
by SilverThornFeather
Summary: "The same place. The same time. The same date. Each time it happened it was the same, every detail of it. My name is Willa Conrad. And this is my story." Willa Conrad Lives in a town steeped in secrecy. Secrets hidden from her since birth. But when she stumbles upon a strange man in her garden, how much longer can the truth be hidden from her? When all she knows is set to change.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N : HOWDY PARTNERS!**

**Hello there and welcome to my first EVER Dr Who Fic! (Isn't that exciting!?) I really hop you enjoy this fic as much as I've enjoyed writing it and that you drop me a review in the box to tell me what you think of my work. Also, feel free to check out any of my other fics that I'm writing! That'd be greatly appreciated! **

**See you soon,**

**DFTBA,**

**Shancy**

* * *

_**(Prologue) **_

The same place. The same time. The same date. Each time it happened it was the same, every detail of it.

And as I soon came to understand, it had always been dealt with in the same way too.

Perhaps it was the almost military similarity, that scared me most, as if the pattern of time had committed its date to memory, and simply re-arranged itself to recreate the first time - however long ago that was.

There had always been a strange secrecy about my neighborhood. So strange in fact, one could almost imagine it was the birthplace of superstition. Black cats weren't kept, ladders were never put up ; no matter how difficult the task at hand. Umbrellas were kept outside. People kept themselves to themselves, yet everyone knew everyone and everyone knew everyone else's business.

I guess you are thinking something terrible must've happened in that town - why else is there so much mystery surrounding that place, yet it has always been this way - ever since it happened. Many moons ago.

My name is Willa Conrad. And this is my story.


	2. Chapter 1 - A Night To Remember

_**Chapter 1 **_

I was eight when it happened, although, as I soon came to learn, people had known about it ever since it happened first, a date lost in eternity.

It was a late spring evening, there was a distinct chill in the air and the leaves rustled like thousands of whispers against the backdrop of night.

I was in bed, although not asleep, huddled underneath my duvet, a materialistic comfort to my eight year old self. I clutched Tedda tighter against my chest, the wind howled, branches scraped across my window pane, the claws of invisible ghouls of the night trying to get at me. I hunched down further underneath my covers leaving only my eyes protruding over the top of the quilt, I shuddered as the shadows danced across my walls, getting closer and closer until I could look no more. I buried my head beneath the blankets and plunged into darkness. It was stuffy and too hot for my liking but I didn't want to have to face the shadowy branches and ghostly trees any more than I had to.

Soon, when my nose began to clog and my eyes began to ache, I decided it was time to face the creatures again. Slowly I peeled the covers down, away from my face and peered out into the gloom.

The wind was calmer, softer than before, the trees billowed as the air wafted between the branches. The shadows had stopped their waltz across my bedroom walls. It was quiet. Eerily quiet.

The Moonlight flooded in through my window, that was the first thing that struck me as odd that night. The sheer brightness of it began to hurt my eyes, I squeezed them shut, my brows contorted in discomfort as the light hit my eyelids. I raised my palm to shield my eyes from its harshness, a black cloud drifted across the sky like thick smog that smothered the stars. I squirmed beneath the covers, Tedda cradled in my arms. It was cold that night, bitterly cold. Spring was late that year and Winter clung onto its prey with a vice like grip. I shuddered. Though the wind had gone, there was still a distinct chill which hung about my room. At the time I suppose i thought it was just the weather. I now know that it was something far more sinister, than the simple whisperings of the wind.

The moonlight continued to bear down on me, I tried not to look at it but wherever I trained my eyes it followed. Never once did I manage to evade its harsh glare. It made its presence felt. And yet to this date, I had rather not have learnt of its existence.

Without warning, the world fell silent.

The trees stopped moving, the shadows ceased their waltz across my peach coloured walls. And then came the Dark. A strange kind of darkness, the streetlamps muted glow had all been swallowed by the black depths of that night. I was scared. I wanted to run. I wanted to go to my parents, though they would have put it down to a bad dream and dismissed it without a second thought. And something inside of me told me to stay put.

So, instead, I slipped out of bed, my feet were immediately engulfed by the softness of my slippers, muffling the sound of my footsteps as I tip-toed over to the windowsill. I was small for a child in their 8th year and so I couldn't see out of the window very easily without standing on the little plastic step my mother had bought me at a car boot sale. I dragged it over to the pane, careful to dodge the 3rd floorboard, second to the right as I knew it was squeaky.

I quickly hoped up onto the step and peered out into the gloom.

And there he was. Standing there. His long white fingers grasping a cane in his right hand. On his head sat a black top hat. His back was turned from me, his face ingulfed by shadow. I gasped, clutching the sill even tighter in my hands so my knuckles took on a white hue from the pressure.

Then slowly, ever so slowly he turned to me, his face irredescent in the depths of night and then, he smiled.

And I knew at that moment, my life was to change and not all of it for the better.


End file.
